Glory-hole furnace



Nov. l2, 14929.

M. E. MCSWAlN GLORY HOLE FURNACE Filed Dec. 20. 1928 Patented Nov. 12,1929

MELVIN vELIAS McsWAIn, on roar SMITH, ARKANSAS y GLORY-,Horn FnnNAcn y Application led DecemberZO, 1928. Serial No. 327,293.

This invention relates to glass furnaces and particularly to what are known as glory holes, that is', holes through the wall of the furnace through which glass blower tubes are to be inserted for the purpose of heating glass for blowing orfor the purpose of finishing glass articles. In finishing glass articles through the ordinary finishing hole in the wall of the glory hole, the extremity of the article, as for instance a glass chimney, is inserted in the finishing hole in the furnace to soften it. This chimney is supported on a rotatable Snap or clamp. In the ordinary furnace or glory hole, the hot gases projected from the finishing hole are projected outward horizontally and, therefore, are projected against or strike the bulbous portion of the chimney. `This tends to soften this portion of the chimney and the resilient jaws of the snap tend to deform `and bend in this softened portion of the chimney.

. The general object of the present invention is to avoid this by so forming the finishing hole that the hot gases or blast are directed upward and outward instead ofdirectly in a horizontal plane so that the iiame does not strikel the bulbous portion of the chimney but only the tip thereof, thus preventing the softening of the article and its consequent deformation by the resilient vgrip of the han- -dling jack or clamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a glory hole or glass heating furnace having in the furnace wall a series of blower holes or flame holes, these holes being disposed above the finishing holes a distance about two and one-halfinches and on the opposite wall therefrom so that the flame will come directly out of the flame hole or blower hole laterally but-the lower portion of the flame will strike upward instead of outward and will `be diverted to an upward and outward direction by the peculiar formation of the lire brick through which the finishing hole is formed. 1

' A further object is to providea glory hole or glass ,furnacel of the'character described which has onestraight wallv and a curved wall, the straight wall being formed with a plurality of finishing holes and the curved wall with a plurality of iiame or blower holes',` l

The blower holes are disposed in a plane above the finishing holes.' By placing thefinj ishing holes in a flat wall, it ispossible to use a plurality of jacks mounted upon a carriage, place a plurality of articles to be Lfinished within the resilient clamps of the jacks and forcey all these articles into thefinishing holes rworkmen to use these blower holeswithout ,interfering with each other which would ynot be possibleV were the blower holes disposed in aflatwall.

1n the drawings:- y c f f. vFigure 1 is a side ele'v tion of a glory hole, constructed in accordance with my invention; l l Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View thereof on the line 2 2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View thereof on the line3-3 of Figure 2. i

My inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein 10 'designates generally and without detail a furnace constructed in accordance with' my invention. rThis furnace o r gloryhole has a curved wall shown as approximating a semi-circle and designated 11 and a straight wall 12 constituting the chord of the arc. The furnace is heated by a gas blast' pipe' 13 of any suitable or usual construction extending upward through the bottom of the furnace at approximately the middle thereof. This furnace is formed of fire brick inlthe usual mannerormay be formed in any suitable or desiredwayV but preferably a series-of blocks 14 form part, of the straight furnace wall'12 through which blocks pass the nishing holes 15. In the v ordinary furnace of this character, these'iinishing holes are disposed with their axes in a horizontal plane. As a consequence, asv be? fore stated, theblast of ignited gas is forced out in a horizontal plane 'and the chimney A or other article which is supported upon the snap or handling tongs B has itsbody or bul+ bous portion subjected to these flames..v

This tends tosoften thisbulbous lportion and the resilience of the clamp tends4 to cause its deformation. vMany chimneys are thrown loo away on account of this deformation and many chimneys are counted as seconds on account of this deformation. Instead of being horizontal, the opening l5 which is approximately circular in shape extends upward and outward at an angle of approximately and to t-his end the upper wall-of Ithe holeon the outside face lis Vcut upward and outward while the lower wall of the hole on the inside face of the block or brick 14 is cut downward and inward so that 'the'inner end of the hole flares downward while the upper end of the hole flares upward. The article A is presented tolthis finishing hole :in a horizontal plane y and the end which is to be softened or annealed or have its edges rounded by Yheat Vis plane of .the finishing holes. These holes 16i havetheiraxes disposed ina horizontal plane and in outward divergent relation to Veach other, thus enabling a number'ofw-orlinien to all work conveniently :at the same furnace which would not :be :the case were the wall straight. The ordinary glory hole furnace is cylindrical in form with no yflat wall. By providing a flat wall, I provide foroneiha'lf ofthe furnace beingvusedifor finishing articles and finishing machine while the other half-of thezfurnace is'used bythe blowers.

With .thisv construction las Ibefore stated, the flame `as it `rises i through :the furnace will spread lout and be deflected Ilaterally and will come outorf the 'blower holes 16 laterally, that is, .in lan approximately 4horizontal plane, but the lower portion-of lthefiame will be-deflected upward and outward by the peculiar' formation ofthe block through lwhich the finishing hole fis made. Y Obviously I do not wish ftozbe limited tothe exactfshape shown in `Figurenor to the exact `construction of the blocks or members vthrough which the finishing holes are formed one glory hole takes care of blowers and the finishing machines at the same time and',

scribed, a wall having a finishing hole, the

hole having its upper and outer end upwardly and outwardly flared while its inner end is downwardly and inwardly flared.

2. In a glass .'furnace,a wall .havinga finishing hole therethrough, the axis of the finishi-ng'hole extending approximately upward and outward, the vouter end of the lfinishing f hole being ovoid in shape with the small-end of the ovoid upward, the inner end `of V1the finishing lhole being ovoid in shape with the small-end of the ovoid downward.

3. In a glory hole furnace having an outer wall, `'the wall being provided withk a series of yfinishing holes, the series being dis` posed in ahorizontal plane and each yfinishing holel having its axis extending approximately upward and outward and `the wall'of the'furnace being vformed with `a series of `blower holes, the axes of `which `are disposed :in ihori-` zontal planes,:the blowerholesbeingldisposed above the finishing-holes.

4, `A glory hole furnace having an arcuate wall and a straight zchorda'l wall, the chordal wall being :provided withatplurality of finishing holes, zthe arcuate wall having .a plurality of blower :holes/disposed above fthe finishing holes.

5. A glory hole .furnace `having .an arcuate wall and a straight chordal wall, the

chordal wall'being 'provided with a .p'lu- Yrality of l'finishing holes, the chordal :Wall

having a plurality of blower .holes Vdisposed above the finishing holes, the finishing holes having their axes inclined .upward .and outward, the blower holes rhauling a horizontal axis, the axes of the blower holes :being `disposed in divergent frelationtofeach other'.

6. A glass furnace having a vvertical walll formed with a finishingho'le, .the upper wall of the hole extending generally upward and outward with reference vto vthe v wall from the inner `facevoffthe wall to fthe outer face thereof.

7 A glass furnace having a vertical wall formed with a finishing 'hole, `the upper and lower walls of the hole'extendinggenerally upward and outward with `reference to lthe plane `of said plane of said wall from 'theinner face-'ofthe wall'to theouter faceithereof. l. Y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. 

